Ratko Mladic, Bosnian Serb General Convicted of Genocide, Dies at 80

Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military chief convicted of orchestrating the Srebrenica massacre and other war crimes, died in a hospital on Thursday. He was serving a life sentence at The Hague for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, handed down for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica slaughter, the worst act of bloodshed in Europe since World War II.

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symbolize genocide

Known as the "Butcher of Bosnia," Mladic oversaw the wartime killings during the 1992-1995 conflict that left around 100,000 people dead and displaced 2.2 million. He was the military leader of a trio that included political figures Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic. Despite suffering several strokes in recent months, appeals for his release due to failing health were rejected by the UN international tribunal.

Reactions to Mladic's death were sharply divided. Sehida Abdurahmanovic, a representative of the Mothers of Srebrenica victims' association, stated that Mladic's name would forever "symbolize genocide." She believes her missing brother was among the 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys executed by Serb forces under Mladic's command in Srebrenica.

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That will never be erased from his name

In contrast, reactions within Bosnia's Serb entity, Republika Srpska, were starkly different. Former Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said Mladic's death had "hit hard," and the Republika Srpska "will not forget his role." Pensioner Dragan Beric in the capital, Banja Luka, called Mladic "the greatest man" and "the greatest general of the Serbian people."

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hit hard

Mladic evaded capture for 16 years after his indictment in 1995. He lived a life of luxury in Serbia, where some still viewed him as a hero. However, pressure mounted after Milosevic's fall from power in 2000. Mladic was finally arrested in May 2011 and transferred to The Hague, where he was convicted in 2017, with his life sentence upheld on appeal in 2021.

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will not forget his role